Google Glass Returns As ‘Project Aura’

Michael Moore joined TechWeek Europe in January 2014 as a trainee before graduating to Reporter later that year. He covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to mobile devices, wearable tech, the Internet of Things, and financial technology.

Next generartion of smart glasses project is reportedly hiring former Amazon Lab126 engineers

Google Glass may still yet be set for an unlikely rebirth following reports that the product is still being developed under a new name.

Reports have claimed that Glass, now known as ‘Project Aura’, has hired a number of engineers and software developers from Amazon’s Lab126 arm, which had been responsible for some of the retailer’s most ambitious hardware projects.

Building up

According to Business Insider, Google has signed up at least three people from Amazon’s hardware facility, which recently announced severe lay-offs and project cuts following the failure of the company’s Fire smartphone.

Ivy Ross, the original head of Glass, will remain in charge of Project Aura, but will now report to Tony Fadell, the CEO of smart thermostat maker Nest, who volunteered to rescue the initiative and work on the second iteration. There’s no indication that Project Aura will work with devices such as Nest, but it is being lined up to work with other wearable devices.

Rumours of Google Glass’ return have been circulating ever since the original $1,500 product was officially shelved back in January, although it does remain available for business customers to buy.

Reports earlier this year claimed that the company had been shipping out a new generation of the head-mounted device, featuring a redesigned rectangular body and button-and-hinge system to attach the mini-computer to other units, to customers in the health care, manufacturing and energy industries, among others.